CHAPTER 82…………………..
The divine beast of Obel governs darkness.
Perhaps that was why.
The common belief was that Obel was not only the beast of darkness but also of death.
And among those bound to Obel, one tale was passed down like a grim inheritance.
It was said that if a contract holder of Obel died without truly enjoying life and left behind lingering regrets, their soul would be devoured by the beast Obel.
The Fletcher family, vassals of Obel, had also long been contracted to the divine beast.
When the firstborn son died, Count Fletcher searched for a young girl so that his son would not be lonely on his journey.
- She had to be of a similar age.
- She had to be bound to Obel.
- She had to be someone whose death could be disguised as an accident without arousing suspicion.
The child who met these conditions turned out to be Emily, Ricardo’s elder sister.
This was before Ricardo had manifested his Great Seal.
It was also right before his father passed away and their household began to decline.
The family, consumed by grief, would have no room to suspect foul play. Besides, Emily wasn’t an only child—she had a younger brother.
Count Fletcher decided that since that household had two children, losing one would not matter.
And so, Emily died at a young age.
Only the Fletcher family, who had planned it, knew the truth.
“You’ll be able to marry Lord Ricardo while alive. He’s just been busy establishing the family, so your marriage was delayed a little. Why are you being so impatient?”
Alicia’s whining was nothing new, but today she was more agitated than usual.
The nurse, worried the young lady might do something rash, tried to soothe her gently.
“It’s because I didn’t get to see Lord Ricardo’s face that day.”
When he was with her, he was polite but gave off the subtle impression of keeping his distance.
Still, she told herself not to be hurt—he was like that with everyone.
At least, until she saw him come to fetch Linaria.
Ricardo treated her as though she were a fragile porcelain doll, one wrong move away from breaking.
It wasn’t about drawing boundaries—it was plain he was awkward around her.
What’s so special about her?
She was nothing but a worm who hadn’t even contracted a divine beast!
Alicia’s pride burned.
“If Lord Ricardo had been indifferent to everyone, I would have waited longer for marriage, like I always have.”
There should be no exceptions with Ricardo.
And if there had to be one, it should only be her.
“You must mean Lady Obel. Of course he would dote on her—she’s his sister.”
“I know, I know! But I still hate it.”
Logic didn’t matter. If she hated it, then it was hateful.
Which meant she had to make it so she wouldn’t hate it anymore.
“Nanny, go to my father right now and ask him to prepare a ring.”
“With your dowry, you could easily buy not only a ring but even a necklace…”
“Obviously I’m not talking about just any ring! That’s why I need Father!”
Alicia’s pout turned into a prim expression, as if she had never been upset at all.
“I can’t wait any longer. I’ll demand a wedding ring.”
“My lady, if you have the leisure, how about hosting a gathering yourself?”
Around the time Ricardo’s health was steadily improving, the butler approached Linaria with a suggestion.
“A gathering?”
“It’s common for direct heirs to hold small gatherings. Word has spread that you’ve returned to the capital—many must be looking forward to it.”
She had already told the young ladies she’d met recently that they were welcome to visit sometime.
And what better pretext to bring together Obel’s vassals in one place?
The only thing suspicious is that the butler was the one to suggest it first.
Weighing the pros and cons, Linaria nodded.
“Alright. I’ll start preparing at a steady pace.”
“Yes, if you need help, you can always ask me or Lord Ricardo.”
The preparations went smoothly.
As the guest list grew, the venue needed to expand as well, until it was no longer a “small” gathering in any sense.
Meanwhile, the household cats’ health improved visibly.
Peaceful days passed by.
Knock, knock.
“It’s me. Ricardo.”
The visitor who stirred the calm of her busy routine was none other than Ricardo.
“Come in.”
It was the study she used temporarily.
Pushing aside a stack of papers, Linaria spoke.
She had just heard that morning he was recovering and had finally risen from bed.
She hadn’t expected him to come straight away, so she stared at him curiously.
Perhaps a little too intently.
Startled, Ricardo offered a flimsy excuse.
“I came to see the cats.”
The cats were indeed playing by her side.
At her nod of permission, Ricardo cautiously approached them.
It wasn’t merely an excuse—he really did just watch them quietly for a long while before speaking.
“You’ve been planning a gathering, right?”
“Meow—.”
As if answering for her, a kitten mewed at his words.
“The news travels slowly. It’s grown so large we might as well call it a harmony banquet now.”
“If there’s anything difficult, tell me. I’ll help however I can.”
“In that case, about the venue. If you look at the floor plan, you’ll see the garden is a bit too cramped, so—”
She asked, almost eagerly.
But Ricardo was staring blankly.
Was he still suffering from fever?
“Are you listening to me?”
“Huh? Of course. Naturally.”
“If you’re unwell, don’t push yourself. Rest.”
“…Sorry.”
“There’s no need to apologize for being sick.”
“No, actually I…”
Uncharacteristically, Ricardo hesitated. He seemed embarrassed.
But why?
Her question was answered by his next words.
“I’ve never actually organized a gathering myself.”
“I know.”
Ricardo was quieter than other heirs. That wasn’t his personality so much as his approach to his duties.
Linaria was well aware of that.
“Still, I thought you would know. You’ve managed the household flawlessly in the duke’s stead.”
“I only tried to fill his absence. Calling it flawless is an overstatement.”
“…”
“I’ll study more and figure it out.”
Ricardo, looking awkward, quickly changed the subject.
“By the way, where’s your knight?”
“Caas.”
Now that he mentioned it, his absence was unusual.
He was nearly always by Linaria’s side.
“He’s out running an errand.”
“An errand? You could have had a servant do that.”
“I’ve been too busy to leave the estate. He seemed bored, so I sent him out deliberately.”
“…You seem very fond of him.”
“He’s my knight. Of course I value him.”
Ricardo looked like he wanted to ask more.
Mew—.
But a kitten approached, rubbing against his feet, and he froze like a statue.
“Ah, right. Here.”
Linaria handed him something.
“You’ll attend, won’t you?”
“…?”
Finally, Ricardo awkwardly extended his hand.
It was an invitation to her gathering.
Surprised, he nodded.
“Of course. Naturally.”
“You’d better not make excuses about being busy later.”
She warned him firmly.
Of course, she hadn’t given it to him out of some newfound desire to reconcile.
This will be a good chance to see which families he’s close with.
The possibility of betrayal hadn’t vanished completely.
So this was her chance to observe whom he might ally with.
A few days later.
The day of the gathering finally arrived.
With more attendees than expected, it was more than worthy of being called a “harmony banquet.”
“Lady Linaria! It’s been so long!”
The young ladies she had met previously greeted her warmly.
“Thanks to you, I safely broke off my engagement with Young Lord Russell! I’m so grateful!”
“I hardly did anything.”
Because of them, she could easily get along with the new faces as well, even though it was their first meeting.
Since everyone invited was of noble birth, they were either family, relatives, or acquaintances of the young ladies—an advantage that helped things flow smoothly.
Ricardo’s over there. I already have eyes on him, so I don’t need to worry. And Lady Alicia is…
For some reason, Alicia was alone.
Though she had come with her parents, she wasn’t with them.
Nor did she mingle with the other young ladies who approached her.
Her cold responses soon sent them away.
Linaria was still puzzling over this when Alicia made an abrupt move.
“I have an announcement to make, everyone.”
She stepped up to the podium and raised her voice.
All eyes turned to her.
Before anyone could stop her, Alicia’s cheeks flushed as she declared:
“Lord Ricardo and I are officially engaged. Please bless the union of House Obel and House Fletcher.”
